Luana sat at the dining table, waiting for dinner to be served. She was on the phone with Karl.“Yes, darling,” she said with a soft smile. “We can leave a few things here for when we want to stay overnight.” She paused, listening. “Yes, Brie’s words exactly. She approved.” Another pause. “If you want, I can confirm with Mark, but honestly, that seems unnecessary.” She chuckled lightly. “Alright then. Bye!”As she hung up, Julian appeared from the kitchen, wearing his chef’s jacket.“Are Mr. and Mrs. Ferro coming down?” he asked politely.“They’re still upstairs,” Luana replied. “Is dinner ready?”“Almost,” Julian said, retreating back into the kitchen.Luana leaned back in her chair, letting out a quiet sigh as she waited.Meanwhile, Briana stood in the bedroom, her arms crossed, watching as Mark pulled on an outfit.“So, you’re going out again, aren’t you?” she said, her voice full of irritation.Mark didn’t look up. “Is there a problem with that, darling?”“Yes!” Briana snapped. “I

“This just isn’t right,” James says, his voice low but sharp. “You’re the one who should be in here.”Mark’s expression darkens. “According to who?”“According to everything decent in this world.”Mark glances to his left and right, ensuring no one is nearby. Satisfied, he turns back to James, ready to address a thorny subject.“You want to talk about what’s decent?”James smirks ironically. “I don’t have much of a choice.”Mark’s tone hardens. “What do you call falsely accusing someone of a crime they didn’t commit? What do you call going to the police with a fabricated story because you can’t win any other way? You and your wife couldn’t defeat me with the truth, so you resorted to lies and deceit. That says more about how pathetic you are than it does about me.”James sits down on the bed, his voice steady but dripping with disdain. “The fact is, I know you’re not the honest and upstanding man you claim to be.”Mark narrows his eyes, trying to decipher James’s cryptic statement.Se

The conversation between Mark and James continues in the dimly lit cell through the night.“You understand what we’re dealing with now, James?” Mark’s voice is calm but persuasive. “The drug Mr. Curtis gave Briana had an aphrodisiac effect. When I was about to drive her to the hospital, she couldn’t control herself. I don’t know much about these new drugs, but the effect only subsided after we... well...”James, now calmer, nods in understanding. “I get it, Mark. Driving with her constantly grabbing you would’ve been dangerous. She could’ve caused you to crash.”Mark leans forward, his voice steady. “Exactly. What you saw in that video was completely taken out of context. And isn’t it interesting that it was Anthony’s son who brought that video to you?”James begins to piece things together, his expression hardening.“So that’s why Adrian’s father was fired when Briana turned things around and took his job as manager? He came to me playing the victim, acting like the most wronged man

Mark sat in the chair next to Christopher’s bed, his expression unreadable, a mixture of authority and restrained disdain.Christopher’s face betrayed his mounting frustration, his words sharp as he finally broke the silence.“It was you, wasn’t it?” Christopher accused. “Luana is Briana’s best friend — and mine too. She wouldn’t have bugged our conversation unless Briana or you told her to!”Mark leaned back slightly, folding his arms. “The police needed evidence. The recording proved it wasn’t me.”“How convenient!” Christopher shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.Mark’s expression softened, though his eyes glimmered with pity. “Christopher, you’ve lied so much you’re starting to believe your own fabrications. I didn’t cut the brakes on your car, and I certainly didn’t touch your sister’s either. This ridiculous theory of yours is what’s driving you insane.”“You’re the insane one!” Christopher countered, his voice rising. “You hate my family and want us dead!”Mark’s composur

Mark waited alone in the small police office, his expression calm, as if he were merely observing someone else’s situation.The door creaked open, and Sergeant Ribeiro entered, guiding a perplexed James Ross.Another officer accompanied them, a younger man, holding James by the arm.James’s wrists were bound by cuffs, but his eyes were locked on Mark, filled with both respect and disbelief.It was clear: James recognized that Mark was his lifeline in this mess.“OK, Mr. Ross!” Ribeiro began, his tone clipped and matter-of-fact. “Do you understand what just happened here?”James didn’t respond right away. He kept his gaze fixed on Mark as if silently asking, “Is this real?”Ribeiro continued, not waiting for an answer. “Your bail’s been paid. Normally, I’d say you’ll await trial out on bail, but Christopher Vasconcelos hasn’t filed a formal complaint against you yet. If this keeps up, we’ll have no choice but to drop the charges and the investigation.”James finally found his voice, hi